Managing Pain

Whilst cold wintery days are for snuggling up on the couch with hot cup of tea, it is also important to continue staying active. Your joints might not agree with a cold snap, but they love physical activity and exercise. Without physical activity, this can lead to your joints...

The festive season is here and can be a busy time of the year cooking, shopping, gathering with family and friends, but most of all, decorating for the holidays. If you live with a chronic condition, such as arthritis, it is important to look after your joints and manage...

Q: Non-Addictive pain control: what works best? This is a question asked by someone who attended one of our free Community Education webinars. Yes, there are many different, evidence-based strategies to help manage pain. But first, let’s briefly touch on (potentially) addictive pain control i.e., opioid use. Pharmacological Opioid...

With the right treatment, arthritis symptoms for some may be kept at bay or to a minimum. However, there may still be times where you experience episodes of pain and inflammation known as flares. To help manage flares, and keep them to a minimum, there are things both you...

Question: I have both Ankylosing Spondylitis and Osteoarthritis, and so I was wondering if there were ways or things I could do to reduce inflammation to help treat my arthritis. Answer: Yes, there are certainly things you could try to help reduce or manage inflammation in your body. Other...

Injections of Intra-articular corticosteroids (IACSs), usually combined with analgesics, are commonly performed to treat pain related to osteoarthritis (OA) e.g., hip and knee OA. While they are common, they are not without their risks. I will go on to talk about these in a moment, however first, it’s important...

Question: I have arthritis in my hand (base of thumb and wrist). It can be painful in the cooler months, and sometimes after a day of gardening and/or chores around the house, my thumb and wrist can hurt that evening and into the next day. Is there anything I...

Fool your brain, replace your pain What is Distraction? Diverting attention away (i.e., distraction) from feelings and thoughts of pain is a common and well researched pain-coping strategy. Its effects are variable across individuals, however, those who report high levels of pain catastrophising are known to benefit best from...